NC, PDP enter into verbal brawl over recruitment scams

Srinagar, Jan 21: The ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) entered into a verbal brawl on the recruitment scams in Jammu and Kashmir, with leaders from both parties targeting each other for irregularities in examinations.
Iltija Mufti, the daughter of PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, said, “The JKSSB has conducted two recruitment exams for telecommunications and photographer but there are discrepancies in both the exams as the candidates who have topped in these exams have failed to in the recent Jammu and Kashmir Police Constable examinations.”
“I want to ask the JKSSB as well as the government how the candidates who have performed poorly in two exams have topped in the Police constable examination and those who have worked hard didn’t even make the list. Are not you (government & JKSSB) able to conduct exams transparently,” she said.
Iltija alleged that all the recruitment exams held since 2019 have irregularities. She said agencies like Aptech are tasked with the responsibility of conducting the exams. “There seems a nexus between those who are at the highest position in power and the agencies conducting exams,” she said, asking if the government that “rose to power by making lofty promises has conveniently washed their hands off any accountability”.
Responding to her allegation, the NC spokesperson, Ifra Jan targeted PDP for what she termed as the biggest recruitment scam in J&K Bank. “Iltija Mufti belongs to the party that is responsible for the biggest recruitment scam of J&K Bank. We are not answerable to PDP but to the people of J&K,” she said.
Ifra further added that these exams have been conducted by the Lieutenant Governor-led administration and instead of raising fingers on the elected government; she should have posed this question to the BJP and LG administration.
“PDP has been raising questions on the NC government only. We have nothing to do with these exams,” the NC spokesperson said, adding that the investigation should be held if the BJP and LG administration have done anything wrong in the recruitment process.
Ifra asked Iltija to muster the courage to ask this question to the LG administration rather than “sabotaging the elected government like the way they have been sabotaging the fight for the restoration of statehood”.
The aspirants, who appeared for the JKP Constable Telecommunication and Photography exams, have reportedly cried foul, alleging major irregularities and questioning the transparency of the selection process.
According to aspirants, those who topped the Telecommunication and Photography exams had alarmingly poor scores, some even in the negative marking zone, in the earlier JKP (Executive/Armed/SDRF) paper, which they described as easier in comparison. (KNO)